Black-Eyed Pea & Sausage Chili

In case you haven’t heard…winter is coming. And I mean that literally. Fall is nice here in the south because there’s no more stifling heat and humidity, but it still usually feels pleasant with temps in the 70s. Well that changes today. I’m sure many of you have already experienced the cold front as it moves through the country, but it’s 30 degrees colder today than it was yesterday…and it’s only supposed to get colder. I’m afraid we are moving away from the golden days of Autumn and into the gray days of winter. Can you tell I really don’t like winter? It’s the worst. Basically the only good thing about winter is Christmas…and also delicious chili.

If you must bear the cold, wind, and darkness and winter, you might as well make the best of it with good food. I’ll admit that I really didn’t have high hopes for this particular chili recipe. I’m not sure why my expectations were so low, but I just didn’t think I would like it. Well, this is one occasion where I’m glad I was wrong, because this stuff was great! I think it’s because the sausage made it have a more unique, even smoky flavor compared to just regular ol’ beef. I was also afraid it would turn out thin and watery, but it thickened up nicely and warmed us up on a cold evening.

There are several other reasons I like this recipe too: It’s a one-pot dish! I LOVE NOT DOING DISHES! This recipe is also low-cal, which I really appreciate because I eat ghastly amounts of unhealthy food around the holidays and meals like this keep me from turning into a whale. It’s also crazy simple to make and is on the table in only about 40 minutes. My eMeals Low Calorie Meal Plan gives me tons of great weeknight meals like this one!